Basketball court at Big Hairy Dog
Merlot Marketing Location: 4430 Duckhorn Drive, Sacramento Designer: Debi Hammond
The modern yet warmly sophisticated common space at Merlot Marketing exudes the charm and culture the company revels in. Company CEO Debi Hammond designed and decorated the office herself: “In agency life, we often spend more time here than at our homes. It’s welcoming for the team and clients, who love having meetings in a space that enhances creativity and makes you smile.”
The firm has many clients in the high-end home products category, and the past 15 years of placing millions of client ad dollars in publications like Architectural Digest and Veranda has informed much of the style in the “red room.” Barcelona and Hercules-inspired chairs and couches are framed by wine-red accent walls, and the dark wood bar features a True Residential beverage center. It’s a feature the staff loves and is the product of a current Merlot client.
Artery Foundation Location:120 K Street, Old Sacramento Designer: Sudesh Varma, TechSpace
It’s an oasis of creativity inside Old Sacramento’s Ebner Hotel. The historic building houses three dynamic companies — BKWLD, Wonderful Union and The Artery Foundation — that, while independent, closely align in the tech/music/art/ad worlds they occupy.
Patterson, along with Ryan Vanni, the CEO of BKWLD creative agency; and Eric Rushing, the CEO of music management firm Artery Foundation, worked with building owner Dave Scurfield and Sudesh Farma of Tech Space Designs to achieve a distinct aesthetic for each company that creates continuity through the whole building. This space is, after all, a reflection of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s vision for “Sacramento 3.0” and the location he used for meetings while courting Major League Soccer officials.
Fuel Creative Location: 2321 P Street, Sacramento Designer: Fuel Creative Group
Morning power meeting over air hockey? Perhaps a round of old-school Asteroids with a mid-morning espresso is more your thing. The clean brightness of Fuel Creative’s offices is peppered with interactive features — a marriage of analog and modern aesthetic. “Fuel is very eclectic in everything we do, and we like to try new things so we were our own designers,” says firm Principal and Art Director Brent Rector.
“We try to make the space fun for both employees and clients. It’s always evident and in your face, so even when we are on deadline, we see the possibility of fun” Rector is excited about changes to come for the space: covering the conference room walls with peel-and-stick wood panels from Stikwood, a client of Fuel; perhaps tracking down a shuffleboard that can double as a conference table, or even adding a graffiti mural in the next few years.
Big Hairy Dog Location: 3205 Ramos Circle, Sacramento Designer: Big Hairy Dog
Basketball court, gym and shower? Check. Murals by local tagger-turned-artist Eric Goodman? Check. Room for a converted, 25-foot, 1973 Gold Nugget trailer, a tricked-out Harley Davidson, drum set and occasional (literal) big hairy dog? Check. Big Hairy Dog, a technology commerce company specializing in point-of-sale systems, runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, helping clients with critical tech emergencies, which often mean fast-paced and stressful operations.
To combat fatigue, aid recruitment and keep its team on point, the company established an office culture of fun and personal expression that almost can’t be contained by the 14,000-square-foot space. “We get up on the rooftop every year for the airshow, and watch the jets five feet overhead,” says President Mick Malaney. The next addition? “Solar. it’s the perfect, flat roof in the sun all day. We’re going to go baseline and bring our energy costs down to nothing.”
VSP Global Location: 3333 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova Designer: Stantec/VSP Global
Darryl Lemecha, CTO at VSP Global, is proud of the end result achieved in the service provider’s collaborative space, and rightfully so. “We wanted an open, industrial feel with enough warm elements, like wood, that convey a high-tech sensibility that would help us attract and retain top [science, technology, engineering and math] talent,” he says. “We visited numerous technology companies in the Silicon Valley for inspiration.”
Working closely with Stantec to capture diverse perspectives on functionality led to a bold departure from the classic cube. “The space supports a principle of open collaboration across our teams,” Lemecha says. “The colors are a reflection of the logo colors of each of our five lines of business.” The physical shift from individual deskwork to meetings and team projects is structured to flow organically through the building, a reflection of the constant innovation at which VSP Global aims.
5 companies that work together in style
These local businesses take teamwork to the next level with bold colors and innovative designs that inspire creativity and collaboration. Show us your company’s collaborative space for a chance to take over our Instagram account!
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![Darryl Lemecha, CTO at VSP Global, is proud of the end result achieved in the service provider’s collaborative space, and rightfully so. “We wanted an open, industrial feel with enough warm elements, like wood, that convey a high-tech sensibility that would help us attract and retain top [science, technology, engineering and math] talent,” he says. “We visited numerous technology companies in the Silicon Valley for inspiration.”](/sites/main/files/imagecache/lightbox/main-images/0415_boma_photo_vsp_embed_kj.jpg "Darryl Lemecha, CTO at VSP Global, is proud of the end result achieved in the service provider’s collaborative space, and rightfully so. “We wanted an open, industrial feel with enough warm elements, like wood, that convey a high-tech sensibility that would help us attract and retain top [science, technology, engineering and math] talent,” he says. “We visited numerous technology companies in the Silicon Valley for inspiration.”")
